Snow and ice melter.



PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

J. W. DANIELS.

SNOW AND ICE MELTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21,1904;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

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PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

J. W. DANIELS.

SNOW AND ICE MBLTER.

APYLIOATION FILED APR.21,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

luveu l'oz Jmes Wan l/witnesses a Ito-Lung NITED STATES PatentedFebruary 7, 1905;

JAMES DANIELS, OF PATERSON, NE\V JERSEY.

SNOW AND ICE MELTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,191, dated February'7, 1905,

Application filed April 21, 1904. Serial No. 204,188.

To (tl/ 10/10/12, it Duty concern.-

be it known that l, J AMES Daxrnns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snowand Ice Melters, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in snowand ice melting machines of that class wherein the snow is taken up by ashovel or other means and delivered to a conveyor or carrier and by thelatter delivered to a tank or receptacle where it is melted byartificial heat properly applied.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide animproved device of this general character by which the collection andmelting of the snow may be more successfully and rapidly accomplished.

A further object is to provide a machine of this class which shall becapable of performing the same functions whether going in one directionor the other. In other words, the machine as preferably constructed is adoubleender, being equipped alike at both ends, for an obvious purpose.

Still a further object is to provide for the inclosure of the carrierand the tank and the heating devices, whether they be gas, gasolene,crude oil, electricity, or any other artificial heating appliances.

Still a further object is to provide means whereby the snow or ice as itis being-carried through the machine shall be broken up, thusfacilitating its melting. This breaking means is disposed above thecarrier, and the heating devices are so disposed as to act to the bestadvantage on the snow. The carrier extends the whole length of themachine, and the same carrier serves with both shovels and beingoperated through the same medium no change whatsoever is necessary inthe mechanism except the reversal of the direction of movement of themachine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and the novel featu res thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention in its preferred form is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference markedthereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a snow and ice melting machine constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view with a portionbroken away. Fig. is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1. Fig. A is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the machine complete. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the'carrier orchain.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates the truck or frame mountedon suitable wheels 2 on axles 3 and designed to be either selfpropelledor moved by an electric car, locomotive, or othersuitablemot-ive power.\Vhen self-propelled, the fuel supply will be carried upon the machine;but when otherwise propelled it is designed to have the fuel carried bythe car that moves the machine and the fuel conducted to the burners ofthe machine by suitable piping. In the present instance the machine isshown and will be described as of the latter type. The carrier isdesigned to be moved through a casing or housing at, through the roof 5of which extend the smoke-stacks 6, as clearly shown in the drawings,for an obvious purpose.

At each end of the machine is a shovel 7, pivotally mounted, as at 8,(see Fig. 1,) and this shovel is designed to be raised and lowered, asoccasion may require, by suitable means-such, for instance, as a drum 9on a shaft 10, mounted in a suitable standard 11 at the end of themachine just behind the dashboard 12, and upon this drum are wound thechains 13, attached to the shovel, one near each side, as seen in Fig. lat 1A. This shaft is provided with a hand-wheel 15, by which it may beturned, and a suitable ratchet-andpawl device is provided, as seen at16, to hold the shovel in its adjusted position.

It is to be understood that the machine is designed, primarily, to runupon a railroadtrack.

At the sides of the shovel at points which will lie outside the trackare brackets 17, in

which are swiveled the small rollers 18, de-

signed to travel upon the ground.

19 is a shaft mounted in the side walls or braces of the shovel, and oneach of these shafts is a roller 20, and around these rollers passes thecarrier 21, which passes also over idlers 22 and over sprocket-wheels23, which latter are mounted inside the housing or casing 4 and carriedby shafts 24, mounted in suitable bearings 25, as seen clearly in Figs.1 and 5. This carrier may be of any suitable form of construction suitedto the purpose, in this instance being shown as composed of a series ofslats 26, suitably connected to the. carrier-chains 27, one at each endof the slats, and designed to cooperate with the sprocketwheels 23,there being a sprocket-wheel at each side of the machine and near eachend of the tank within said casing, as seen best in Fig. 1'. As will bereadily understood from Fig. 1, this carrier extends the whole length ofthe casing, the top and bottom portions running horizontally andparallel over and between the sprocket-wheels and from thence downwardtoward each end of the machine. Beneath the carrier between thesprocketwheels is a tank or receptacle 28, designed to receive the wateras the snow and ice becomes melted, and this tank is provided with asuitable hose 29, whereby-the water may be discharged therefrom whendesired.

Within the casing L are the burners 30, of any suitable or well-knowncharacter. In this instance they are shown as of that type designed forburninggasolene or the like, fueloil, or any suitable fuel. They aredisposed to extend substantially the entire length of the space over thetank and are all connected with a common supply-pipe 31, as seen clearlyin Fig. 3, and to which is connected the supplypipe 32, as seen in Figs.3 and 5, which supply-pipe is designed for connection with a source offuel-supply (not shown) which will be carried on the motor-car. Thecarrier runs above and below these burners, as will be readilyunderstood.

33 represents rakes disposed above the sprocket-wheels, as seen in Figs.1 and 3, and are for the purpose of cutting up the snow as it is carriedalong by the carrier, and for the purpose of more thoroughly cutting thesnow these rakes are disposed so that their teeth shall be staggered, asseen in Fig. 3.

34 represents an opening for the supply of air to support combustion.

Motion is imparted to the carrier when the machine is constructed as afour-wheel truck by means of gearing, as seen clearly in the differentviews. Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted-that on each axle there isat each end a gear-wheel 35, which is designed to mesh with a smallergear-wheel 36 on the shafts of the sprocket-wheels, as seen also in Fig.1 and in plan in Fig. 2. In an eight-wheeled truck an independent motorfor actuating the carrier may be employed.

The machine is provided at each end with a suitable coupling, so that itmay bereadily connected with another car or alocomotive or other sourceof motive power.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above describedthe operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description,especially when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. Brieflystated. it is as follows: As the machine is propelled by any suitablepower the shovel en tering the snow throws the same onto the carrier,which takes it up, and as it passes beneath the rakes the snow is cutup, so as to be more easily melted by the heat from the burners, (orelectricity may be the source of heat,) which heat is sufficient to meltthe snow while it is being carried over the burners. The water fallsinto the tank, from which it may be discharged when necessary. Thecarrier and burners all being inclosed and the heat located beneath thecarrier while it is moving the snow into the path of the heat from theburners enables me to secure the best results and insures the melting ofthe snow as fast as it is delivered to the machine and over the burners.

While the structural embodiment of my invention as hereinbeforedescribed and shown is whatI at the present time consider the preferableone, it is evident that the same is subject to changes, variations, andmodifications in various ways without departing from the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages. 1 therefore do not wishto be restricted to the details of construction herein disclosed, butreserve the right to make such changes, variations, and modification ascome properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

\Vhat is claimed as new is 1. In a snow and ice melter, asupportingtruck, a shovel at each end thereof, a carrier mounted uponboth and adapted to serve with either of said shovels, and a heater.

2. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each endthereof, a carrier mounted on both and adapted to serve with either ofsaid shovels, and a heater, the said carrier being mounted to travelabove and beneath the heater.

3. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each endthereof, a carrier mounted on both and adapted to serve with either ofsaid shovels, a tank, and heaters intermediate the carrier and tank.

4. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each endthereof, an endless carrier having bearings in both of said shovels andadapted to serve with either thereof, a heater, a tank and acasinginclosing the heater and carrier.

' 5. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck. a shovel at each endthereof, an endless carrier extending from shovel to shovel and mountedat opposite ends of the truck in opposite shovels and adapted to servewith either, a tank, a heater arranged above the tank and adapted toheat the snow as it is upon the carrier, and a casing for the carrierand heater.

6. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each endthereof, an endless carrier mount-ed at opposite ends of the truck onsaid shovels to travel the whole length of the truck and to serve witheither of said shovels, means for actuating the carrier, means forheating and melting the snow while it is being carried through themachine, and a receptacle for collecting the water.

7. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each end, anendless carrier adapted to serve with either shovel, means includingburners for melting the snow as it is i being carried through themachine, and means 3 located above the burners and tank for cutting thesnow while it is being moved by the carrier.

8. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingframe, a shovel at an endthereof, a carrier cooperating with said shovel, a receptacle for thewater, a heater, means located above said receptacle and heater forcutting the snow while it is being moved by the carrier, and aninclosing casing therefor.

5). In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at an endthereof, a carrier mounted in and adapted to serve with said shovel, aheater located below the upper travel of said carrier, stationary meanslocated above the heater and above the carrier for cutting the snow, anda receptacle for the water.

ll). In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at each endthereof, an endless 4 carrier mounted at opposite ends of the mal chineon said shovels and adapted to serve with said shovel, means foractuating the carrier, a heater disposed below the upper travel of thecarrier,a receptacle for the water, and a casing inclosing the heaterand carrier.

11. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingframe,a shovel at an endthereof,an endless carrier mounted in said shovel to serve therewith,means for vertically adjusting the shovel, and a heater disposed to heatthe snow as it is moved through the machine by the carrier,and means forcutting the snow as it is being moved through the machine by thecarrier, said cutting means being loeated above the heater and above thecarrier.

12. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at an endthereof, means for vertically adjusting the shovel, an endless carriermounted in said shovel and adapted to serve therewith, means for meltingthe snow as it is being moved through the machine by said carrier, and adevice located above the melting means and arranged to cooperate withthe carrier for cutting the snow.

13. In a snow and ice melter, a supportingtruck, a shovel at an endthereof, means for adjusting the shovel, an endless carrier, a fixedcutting device arranged above the carrier, heaters disposed to melt thesnow as it is being moved through the machine by said carrier, means foractuating the carrier, a receptacle for the Water, and a casinginclosing the carrier and the heaters, said cutting device beingarranged above the heaters and receptacle.

Signed by me at \Vashington, District of Columbia, this 20th day ofApril, 190a.

JAMES \V. DANIELS.

\Vitnesses:

E. W. BOND, 'lnos. H. BANES.

